California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed joined Senators Alex Padilla and Curren Price, California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, and staff, faculty and students from both segments at Los Angeles Southwest College on Wednesday, July 20 for an informational hearing on SB 1440, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act.

Signed into law on Sept. 29, 2010, SB 1440 establishes an Associate of Arts (AA-T) or Sciences (AS-T) Degree for transfer students who have completed 60 transferrable units. California Community College students who obtain the associate degree for transfer will be admitted to the CSU with junior standing. Both the CSU and the CCC will improve efficiency by eliminating excess units that transfer students often accumulate in completing their degree. By simplifying the transfer process, the degree pathway also frees up seats for other students allowing the CSU and the CCC to provide greater access.

"I am excited about SB 1440 because this is a $100 million idea that's going to allow both the CSU and CCCs to provide access to more students by streamlining the transfer process," said Reed.

Since the signing of the bill into law, an implementation team comprised of staff and faculty from the CSU and the CCCs has been working to ensure that the degrees will be offered to students this coming fall. While all degrees have not been finalized, work has been completed on 121 degrees at 53 community colleges.

"We have a clear goal of serving students first and what we are going to do is change the culture of the 23 CSU campuses and the California Community Colleges," added Reed.

Additionally, both Chancellors shared the details of a new $1 million award from Complete College America's Completion Innovation Challenge grant program. Complete College America established the Completion Innovation Challenge program to inspire and enhance state efforts to significantly boost college completion rates. Funding support for the grant program was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will be primarily used to educate students about the new transfer pathway.